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6.29.16 Obituaries

Jesup—Brent Garrett Russell, 46, of Jesup died June 17, 2016, at his residence of the last eight years in Morgantown, W. Va., after an extended illness.

He was a 1988 Wayne County High School graduate and spent time working in the food service industry in restaurant and catering. He enjoyed being with people and having good times with friends and relatives.

He was predeceased by his dad, Rusty Russell, and grandparents, Robert and Helen Russell and Linton and Frances Lewis Anderson.

Survivors include his mother, Linda Russell Jones of Jesup; a sister and brother-in-law, Heather and Ken Boyette of Screven; nephews, Seth Boyette and Landon Kohler Yawn; a niece, Kaitlyn Boyette of Jesup; a stepmother, Janice Parsons of Jesup; a stepbrother and his wife, David and Sarah Yawn of Jesup; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; special friends in Morgantown, Dana Gibson and Megan Young and family; a beloved dachshund, Daisy; and a cat, Violet.

Memorial visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. July 1 at Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Baptist Church Capital Campaign Funds, P.O. Box 1115, Jesup, GA 31598.

Jesup—Evonne Nettles Blackson, 72, of Jesup died June 26, 2016, at her residence.

The Wayne County native was a member of Memorial Baptist Church and a homemaker. She enjoyed being a grandmother, drawing and singing. She was the widow of Edward Franklin Blackson.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Lora and Billy Barber of Jesup; a son and daughter-in-law, Russell and Shelley Waddell of Groves, Texas; three sisters, Sadie Jackson and Lala Faye Gaess of Jesup and Martha Yacks of Essexville, Mich.; three brothers, Monroe Nettles of Youngstown, Fla., and James Walter Nettles and Clarence Nettles of Jesup; grandchildren and their spouses, Krislen and Chad Burnsed, Dyllan and Matthew Wells, and Jared, Ethan, EmmaLee and Janah Waddell; and three great-grandchildren, Saya Wells, Lala Baker Wells and Maddelyn Grace Waddell.

Funeral service were held June 28 at Memorial Baptist Church with the Rev. Randy Oglesby officiating. Interment was in Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery. Active pallbearers were family.

Jesup—Ronnie E. Spellman, 61, of Jesup died June 23, 2016, at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, following a lengthy illness.

He was born Nov. 3, 1954, to Willie Spellman Jr. and Lillie Bell Spellman. He was educated in the public schools of Wayne County, and as a young adult, he moved to Atlanta, where he worked as a chef. After living in Atlanta for almost 30 years, he relocated to Jesup in 2000. He began working at Georgia Narrow Fabric in 2004 and then left to begin a career with the Georgia Department of Transportation, where he remained until his health began to fail. He was a member of New Hope Freewill Baptist Church. In his spare time, he enjoyed landscaping and watching his favorite team, the Atlanta Falcons, play football.

He was preceded in death by his father, Willie Spellman Jr.; his paternal grandparents, Willie and Beatrice Spearman; his maternal grandparents, Willis and Mary Hills; two uncles, Robert Lee and Silas Spearman and Alonzo Young; and three aunts, Alicetine Spearman, Katherine Ingerville and Mary Lee Patterson.

He is survived by his mother, Lillie Bell Spellman; two sisters and brothers-in-law. Phyllis and Raymond Thomas and Sheila and Kevin Jenkins, all of Jesup; six brothers and three sisters-in-law, Ernest and Kizzie Spearman, Eric and Gloria Spellman, and Randall, Patrick, Bobby, and Dedorah and Jarrard Spellman, all of Jesup; two uncles, Paul Spearman of Jesup, and Jerry Spellman of Darien; four aunts, Gladys Young of Jesup, Lucie Mae Smith and Maxie Lee Hamilton of Fort Pierce, Fla., and Cleo Jackson, Orlando, Fla.; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Remains will lie in state for public viewing from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at Royal Funeral Home Chapel Friday.

Funeral services will be July 2 at 11 a.m. at St. John First Born Holiness Church, 386 W. Poplar St., Jesup. Interment will be in the Odum City Cemetery.

Born in Jesup on March 12, 1933, she was one of nine children born to the late James Cleveland Watson and Dora Hall Watson. She graduated from Jesup High School before working for a short time with Southern Bell Telephone Company. In 1952 she met the love of her life, Vernon Neil “Bub” Drake, whom she would marry on May 16, 1953. The newlyweds moved in 1955 and made Fernandina their home, raising their two sons on Amelia Island.

After her sons started school, she went back to work for Fernandina Federal Savings and Loan, which eventually became Anchor Savings Bank, from which she retired in 1997. After retiring from the bank, she worked with her husband in the survey office. They both retired permanently in 2000.

She was a longtime member of Five Points Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach, joining in 1959, where she served faithfully until declining health prevented her attendance the past several years.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Vernon Neil “Bub” Drake; four sisters, Elizabeth O’Neal, Estelle Crosby, Lilla Bell Westberry and Tilly Copeland; and two brothers, Roscoe Watson and Robert Watson.

Funeral services will be in the Chapel of Sammons Funeral Home in Soperton at 11 a.m. on July 2 with the Rev. Kevin Drake officiating. She will be laid to rest beside her husband in the family section of Poplar Springs United Methodist Church Cemetery, Adrian.

A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Newnan—Bonnie Clarke Jarrard, 74, died June 26, 2016, from complications of a cerebral aneurysm.

She was born June 1, 1942, in Savannah to the late Bernice Reese Clarke and James Douglas Clark, and she grew up in Oliver.

After graduating from Screven County High School in Sylvania in 1960, she attended Brenau College and the University of Georgia, where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in elementary education. After marrying Truett Jarrard on Dec. 22, 1963, she taught school in Augusta, Atlanta and Savannah before the family moved to New Orleans and back to Atlanta.

The Jarrards moved to Newnan in 1972, and though the family spent much time at St. George Island, Fla., and Cashiers, N.C., Newnan remained home.

While in Newnan, she was a member of Newnan First United Methodist Church, the Driftwood Garden Club, Bible study groups and bridge clubs and had many good times with her teammates playing tennis in the Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association. She was delighted when her team won their division in the Atlanta city championship. While she enjoyed these activities, her family was always her first priority. In recent years spending time with her three granddaughters was the joy of her life.

A memorial service is set for July 6 at 1 p.m. in the chapel of McKoon Funeral Home with Dr. Gene Tyre officiating. The family will greet friends at the funeral home from noon until the start of the service. A private family burial was held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Dr. George Truett Jarrard Jr.; a son and daughter-in-law, George Truett “Trey” III and Juliette Jarrard of Atlanta; granddaughters, Anna Rae Jarrard, Alexandra Brinson Jarrard and Judith Reese Jarrard, all of Atlanta; a sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and George Baker of Monroe; a brother-in-law, Charlie Holm of Savannah; a sister-in-law and her husband, Dr. Mary Bess Jarrard Cole and Dr. Jeff Cole of Athens; nephews, Charles Holm of Savannah, Douglas Holm of Springfield, Va., George Baker, III of Monroe, Jarrard Cole of New York City; and nieces, Dr. Bonnie Baker of Seattle and Mackinsey Cole of Chapel Hill, N.C.

In addition to her parents, Bonnie was also preceded in death by her daughter, Julie Caroline Jarrard; a sister Lavenia Clarke Holm; a mother-in-law, Irma Gill Jarrard; and a father-in-law, George Truett Jarrard.

McKoon Funeral Home & Crematory of Newnan is in charge of arrangements.